3 Tips For Planning For Keto

When it comes to the Ketogenic diet, your success will lie in your planning. Making sure you have the proper foods on hand when you begin your diet will go a long way toward your ongoing weight loss. There are many suggestions for keto friendly meals in the various books, and there are plenty of resources online for Ketogenic and low-carb recipes.

Planning is Key

Planning your meals and snacks will be an important part of your life when you are on this diet. That advice really goes for any diet. When you eat whatever you like, you gain weight. Your current weight and health problems are a direct result of letting your eating habits go unchecked for so long.

As with all diet plans, becoming used to the Ketogenic way of eating is going to take some time and adjustment. The standard American diet relies heavily on carbohydrates and other restricted foods. Many people grew up on carbohydrate heavy favorites like spaghetti and meatballs, meat and potatoes and cereal and pop-tarts. It is may take some effort and patience to get used to eating in an entirely new way.

How to Handle the Changes

There are two different approaches you can take in adjusting your diet.

You can find replacements for your favorite foods with “mock” carbohydrates. For example, lasagna made with eggplant or zucchini instead of pasta is much more carb-friendly than the regular variety. Spaghetti squash noodles make a good substitute for spaghetti noodles. There are also many low-carb or carb-free replacements for bread, pasta and sugar products.

The second approach is to find out how to make new recipes that center around meats and other low-carb foods.

Think Outside Your Box

There are a wide variety of meats that are acceptable on the different Ketogenic plans. If you are used to just eating ground beef or chicken on a weekly basis, you’ll be surprised by the variety of meats that are out there. Try incorporating pork, lamb and ham into your weekly routine. You can also experiment with game fowl like Cornish hen, quail and pheasant. If you’ve never been a fan of fish, try a different variety or a different preparation method. Some people who don’t like trout find they have a love of salmon or another fish. Don’t forget shellfish like mussels, clams and shrimp. These foods are all acceptable and can add variety to your diet.

(Personal note: I love salmon, but never liked making it at home because I either over cooked it or under cooked it. Once I figured out a cooking method that worked for me, I’ve made it a point to cook Salmon once a week.)

Gather Your Arsenal

Make sure to have some easy to prepare foods on hand for snacks and quick meals. For example, thin sliced cucumbers, radishes and celery mixed with lemon mayonnaise makes a great low-carb meal or dinner salad. Fried peppers, mushrooms and garlic served on arugula or other salad green with feta cheese is another good option. Pinterest can be very helpful, just don’t get swayed by the staggering array of non-low-carb images and recipes along the way.

Research and try out different low-carb recipes so you have a good base of knowledge of what to prepare for meals. The most important step you can take in losing weight is planning. Keeping an arsenal of easy to prepare recipes and meals will prevent you from hitting the drive through or going to a restaurant and breaking your diet. (Although there are ways to make that work for you too.)

If you have delicious food to look forward to everyday, you’ll be less bored with your new way of life. At first glance, the vegetable and meat options may seem restrictive. But this is only in comparison to what you have been used to eating. With a little planning and creativity, you can find something interesting to eat everyday.

Wondering what a ketogonic food list might look like… That’s funny, I’ve got one for you right here.

About Christy R. Hall

Christy R. Hall is a Wellness Mindset Coach & Emotional Alchemist. She focuses on helping people change their lives from the inside out. She uses hypnosis, Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) to help her clients achieve real and lasting change. Christy says, “When you know how the mind works, it’s easy to make changes.”

Christy fancies herself to be a Jedi Master, a verbal Ninja, and a Mindset Architect. In her free time, she spins yarn (both literally spinning fiber into yarn, as well as, writing), crochets for charity, watches silly cat videos, looks at pictures of Corgis, and plays massively multiplayer online games. Her current favorite is Elder Scrolls Online.